Hockey: Harbour keep record intact

Bryce Collins

Bryce Collins quickly shrugged off the effects of the long trip back from the World Cup in Germany to lead the charge for North Harbour in two convincing wins in their weekend national league double-header.

Collins followed his Saturday hat-trick - in the 6-0 away win over Northland - with another couple against Midlands in Hamilton yesterday as the 2004 champions maintained their unbeaten start to the season.

Harbour trail leaders Wellington on goal difference after they too made it four-from-four with an 8-0 romp over Southern yesterday following their hard-fought 4-3 win over Central 24 hours earlier.

Sunday's clash between Wellington and North Harbour, in Wellington, could decide the top seeding for next month's play-offs.

It promises to be a titanic battle between the Wellington strikeforce which has scored 22 goals and the re-jigged North Harbour defence, who have conceded just four.

Canterbury and Central, who played out a scoreless draw in Palmerston North yesterday, continue to set the pace in the women's competition with Canterbury ahead on goal difference. They are joined in the top four by Midlands, who scored a deserved 3-1 win over North Harbour in Hamilton yesterday after leading 2-0 at halftime, and Harbour, who had sneaked home 1-0 over Northland on Saturday with former international Jaimee Provan grabbing the second-half winner.

It was a good weekend for Midlands, who grabbed a point in their 3-3 away draw with Auckland on Saturday before taking maximum points in front of their home crowd yesterday.

Auckland dropped further points yesterday when held 2-2 by Northland in Whangarei after the home team, with goals from Anna Thorpe and Laura Douglas, led 2-1 at the break. Lizzie Ryan and Krystal Forgesson, who scored the three goals between them against Midlands, netted one each yesterday. Wellington remain the disappointment of the women's league with one point from four games. They were upset 3-1 by previously pointless Southern in Dunedin yesterday to slump to the bottom of the table and almost certainly out of play-off contention.

The men's league has been a goal bonanza with more than 100 goals in the opening weekends.

Former international Umesh Parag took his tally to seven with three for Wellington against Southern and one in the win over Central. His Australian teammate Kieran Govers has six after scoring three over the weekend.

Another to have played internationally, Hamish Baron also grabbed a hat-trick in Auckland's 9-3 romp over Northland yesterday.

With 21 goals from their four games, Auckland are only a goal behind Wellington in the scoring stakes. Their cause has been weakened however in conceding 11 goals.

Australian Brent Livermore is poised to rejoin Wellington as a guest player. He will have to quickly shake off the disappointment of his team's loss in the World Cup final to spearhead Wellington's charge.